WO2018047423A1

WO2018047423A1 - Washing machine

Info

Publication number: WO2018047423A1
Application number: PCT/JP2017/020465
Authority: WO
Inventors: 良典臼井; 智長井; 西村　博司; 克則松下
Original assignee: 東芝ライフスタイル株式会社
Priority date: 2016-09-09
Filing date: 2017-06-01
Publication date: 2018-03-15
Also published as: JP2018043033A; DE112017004531B4; DE112017004531T5; KR102254645B1; US20190177903A1; JP6948233B2; TW201812133A; TWI664335B; US10697109B2; JP6251425B1; CN108603325B; JP2018042989A; CN108603325A; TW201840925A; TWI638925B; KR20190035684A; MY195296A

Abstract

A washing machine (1) according to an embodiment is equipped with: a washing tub (10) in which clothes are placed; and a water supply mechanism (25) for supplying water supplied from a water supply source into the washing tub (10) through a water supply path (27, 28). The water supply mechanism (25) is provided with: a water supply valve (29, 30, 63) for opening and closing the water supply path (27, 28); a water introduction case (32, 61, 71) for introducing water into the washing tub (10); and a fine bubble generator (31, 51) for generating fine bubbles, the fine bubble generator being disposed between the water supply valve (29, 63) and the water introduction case (32, 61, 71).

Description

Washing machine

Cross-reference to related applications

This application is based on Japanese Application No. 2016-176642 filed on Sep. 9, 2016 and Japanese Application No. 2017-012076 filed on January 26, 2017, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Incorporate

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a washing machine.

In recent years, for example, fine bubbles (ultra fine bubbles or micro bubbles) having a diameter of several tens of nm to several hundreds of nm formed in water have attracted attention. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique in which a fine bubble generator (UFB unit) is provided in a water supply passage in a washing machine to generate a large number of fine bubbles and fine bubble water containing the fine bubbles is used for washing. It is done. By using such fine bubble water, the dispersibility of the detergent and the permeability to clothes can be enhanced, and an excellent cleaning action can be obtained.

JP, 2016-7308, A

The above-mentioned fine bubble generator increases the flow velocity of water by using the so-called Venturi effect of fluid dynamics, and rapidly reduces the pressure to precipitate a large amount of air dissolved in water as fine bubbles. It has become. Thus, when providing a fine bubble generator in a washing machine, it is desired to generate fine bubbles efficiently with a simple configuration.

Therefore, there is provided a washing machine capable of efficiently generating a fine bubble by providing a fine bubble generating device.

The washing machine according to the embodiment includes a washing tub in which clothes are accommodated, and a water supply mechanism for supplying water supplied from a water supply source into the washing tub through a water supply path, the water supply mechanism including the water supply path. And a water injection case for injecting water into the washing tank, and a fine bubble generator provided between the water supply valve and the water injection case for generating a fine bubble.

The fine bubble in the embodiment is a concept including, for example, micro bubbles having a diameter of about 1 μm to several hundreds of μm and ultra fine bubbles having a diameter of about 50 nm to 1 μm.

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment, and is a longitudinal side view schematically showing the structure of a washing machine, FIG. 2 is a view schematically showing the configuration of a water supply mechanism portion; FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the assembly portion of the UFB unit. FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment, and is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the assembly portion of the UFB unit, FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the UFB unit viewed from the downstream side, FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view seen from the downstream side of the UFB unit, FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view seen from the upstream side of the UFB unit, FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the UFB unit, FIG. 9 is an enlarged longitudinal side view along line X9-X9 in FIG. FIG. 10 shows a third embodiment, and is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of an assembly portion of a UFB unit.

Hereinafter, some embodiments applied to a so-called vertical axis type washing machine will be described with reference to the drawings. The same reference numerals are given to the same parts in the plurality of embodiments and a new illustration and repeated description will be omitted.

(1) First Embodiment The first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. 1 schematically shows the internal configuration of the washing machine 1 according to the present embodiment. First, the overall configuration of the washing machine 1 will be described. Here, the washing machine 1 is provided with a top cover 3 made of a synthetic resin, for example, on the upper part of an outer box 2 which is formed in a rectangular box shape as a whole from a steel plate.

In the outer case 2, a water tank 4 capable of storing washing water is provided so as to be elastically suspended and supported by an elastic suspension mechanism 5 having a known configuration. A drainage port 6 is formed at the bottom of the water tank 4. A drainage channel 8 provided with an electronically controlled drainage valve 7 is connected to the drainage port 6. Although not shown, an air trap is provided at the bottom of the water tank 4 and a water level sensor for detecting the water level in the water tank 4 is provided via an air tube connected to the air trap.

In the water tank 4, a vertical-type washing tub 10 which also serves as a dewatering tub is rotatably provided. The washing tub 10 has a bottomed cylindrical shape, and a plurality of dewatering holes 10a are formed in the peripheral wall portion. For example, a liquid-sealed rotary balancer 11 is attached to an upper end portion of the washing tub 10. In addition, a pulsator 12 that constitutes a stirring device is disposed at the inner bottom of the washing tub 10. Clothes (not shown) are accommodated in the washing tub 10, and a washing operation including a process of washing, rinsing and dewatering clothes is performed.

At this time, the water tank cover 13 is attached to the upper part of the water tank 4. The water tank cover 13 is provided with an opening 13a for taking in and out the laundry substantially at the center, and an inner lid 14 for opening and closing the opening 13a is attached. Furthermore, a water supply port 20 for supplying water into the water tank 4 is provided at a portion near the rear of the water tank cover 13 by a water supply mechanism described later.

Further, at the outer bottom of the water tank 4, a drive mechanism 15 having a known configuration is disposed. Although detailed illustration and explanation are omitted, this drive mechanism 15 is provided with a washing machine motor (not shown) which consists of a DC three-phase brushless motor of an outer rotor type, for example. At the same time, the drive mechanism 15 includes a hollow tank shaft 18, a stirring shaft 19 penetrating the tank shaft 18, and a clutch mechanism etc. for selectively transmitting the rotational drive force of the washing machine motor to the

shafts

18 and 19. ing. The washing tank 10 is connected to the upper end of the tank shaft 18, and the pulsator 12 is connected to the upper end of the stirring shaft 19.

The clutch mechanism has, for example, a solenoid as a drive source, and is controlled by a control device 21 mainly composed of a computer. Thus, the clutch mechanism transmits the driving force of the washing machine motor to the pulsator 12 through the stirring shaft 19 in the fixed (stopped) state of the washing tub 10 during washing and rinsing (washing stroke). The pulsator 12 is driven to rotate directly and reversely. Further, at the time of dewatering (dewatering process) or the like, the clutch mechanism transmits the driving force of the washing machine motor to the washing tub 10 via the tub shaft 18 in a connected state of the tub shaft 18 and the stirring shaft 19 to wash The tank 10 (and the pulsator 12) is driven to rotate directly at high speed in one direction.

The top cover 3 is in the form of a thin hollow box whose lower surface is open and whose upper surface is inclined downward toward the front. In the central portion of the top cover 3, a substantially circular laundry entrance 3 a is formed above the washing tub 10 (above the opening 13 a of the water tank cover 13). On the top surface of the top cover 3, a rectangular panel is formed as a whole, and a lid 23 for opening and closing the entrance 3 a is provided.

Further, on the front side of the top surface of the top cover 3, a horizontally long operation panel 24 is provided. Although not shown in detail, the operation panel 24 includes an operation unit for the user to turn on / off the power to the washing machine 1 and various settings / instructions, and a display unit for performing necessary display. There is. The control device 21 (electronic unit) is provided on the back side of the operation panel 24.

Then, as shown in FIG. 2, a water supply mechanism 25 for supplying water supplied from a water supply source, in this case, a water supply, into the water tank 4 (washing tank 10) through the water supply path at the rear of the top cover 3. It is provided. In the present embodiment, the water supply mechanism 25 opens and closes the connection port 26, the first and second two

water supply paths

27 and 28 which bifurcate and extend from the connection port 26, and the

water supply paths

27 and 28, respectively. First and second

water supply valves

29 and 30 are provided. Furthermore, the water supply mechanism 25 includes a UFB unit 31 as a fine bubble generating device provided in the first water supply path 27, a water injection case 32, and the like.

Among them, the connection port 26 is connected to the tip of a connection hose connected to a tap of a water supply (not shown), and a predetermined tap water pressure for household use (for example, 1.0 to 3.0 kgf / cm 2 (0.1 to 0.29 MPa )) Water is supplied. As shown in FIG. 2, tip portions of the first water supply passage 27 and the second water supply passage 28 are respectively connected to the upper portion of the water injection case 32. The water filling case 32 is provided with a first inlet pipe 35 and a second inlet pipe 36 as water inlets. A first water supply path 27 (an outlet pipe 37 as an outlet of the first water supply valve 29) is connected to the first inlet pipe 35. The second water supply passage 28 (the outlet 30 a of the second water supply valve 30) is connected to the second inlet pipe 36. At this time, the diameter of the first inlet pipe 35 and the diameter of the second inlet pipe 36 are different from each other. For example, the diameter of the second inlet pipe 36 is larger than that of the first inlet pipe 35.

The first water supply valve 29 and the second water supply valve 30 consist of on-off valves that open and close electromagnetically and are controlled by the control device 21 to open and close the first water supply passage 27 and the second water supply passage 28, respectively. As is well known, the water injection case 32 has a box shape, and a detergent storage case 33 is provided inside the case so as to be able to be drawn out. As shown in FIG. 1, the base end side of the flexible water supply hose 34 is connected to the lower outlet 32 a of the water injection case 32, and the front end of the water supply hose 34 is connected to the water supply port 20 of the water tank cover 13. It is connected.

Thus, when the first water supply valve 29 is opened, tap water is supplied from the first inlet pipe 35 to the water injection case 32 through the first water supply passage 27. When the detergent is contained in the detergent containing case 33, the detergent flows while melting, and is supplied into the water tank 4 through the water supply hose 34 from the outlet 32a. At this time, as described later, the water flowing through the first water supply path 27 is made into fine bubble water containing a large amount of fine bubbles by passing through the UFB unit 31, and is supplied into the water injection case 32. It has become.

On the other hand, when the second water supply valve 30 is opened, tap water is supplied from the second inlet pipe 36 to the water injection case 32 through the second water supply passage 28. When the detergent is contained in the detergent containing case 33, the detergent flows while melting, and is supplied into the water tank 4 through the water supply hose 34 from the outlet 32a. In this case, the tap water containing no fine bubble is directly supplied into the water tank 4 through the second water supply passage 28. At this time, the flow rate of water in the second water supply passage 28 is configured to be larger than the flow rate of water in the first water supply passage 27.

By the way, in the present embodiment, the UFB unit 31 which is a fine bubble generating device utilizing the venturi principle is located between the first water supply valve 29 of the first water supply passage 27 and the inlet of the water injection case 32. Provided. At this time, as shown in FIG. 3, the UFB unit 31 is positioned between the outlet pipe 37 of the first water supply valve 29 and the first inlet pipe 35 of the water injection case 32 and assembled so as to be sandwiched therebetween. It is attached. That is, the UFB unit 31 is provided at the outlet of the first water supply valve 29, and the outlet of the UFB unit 31 is connected to the water inlet of the water injection case 32. The UFB unit 31 will be described below with reference to FIG.

That is, the outlet pipe 37 of the first water supply valve 29 has a tubular shape and extends toward the first inlet pipe 35 side (left in the figure) of the water injection case 32. The front end portion of the outlet pipe 37 is formed with a step such that the outer peripheral surface is reduced in diameter in two steps, and in order from the right side (large diameter side), the first small diameter portion 37a, the first small diameter portion 37a The small diameter portion 37b is called. On the other hand, the first inlet pipe 35 of the water injection case 32 extends to the right in the figure toward the first water supply valve 29 side, and is positioned on the tip end side in the tip inner peripheral portion, and its inner diameter is The thin portion 35a is formed so as to be slightly large (thin). Of the inner peripheral portion of the first inlet pipe 35, the inner side of the thin portion 35a is a small diameter portion 35c via a step 35b.

At this time, the inner diameter of the thin portion 35 a corresponds to the outer diameter of the first small diameter portion 37 a of the outlet pipe 37. The inner diameter of the small diameter portion 35 c corresponds to the outer dimension of the outlet side of the UFB unit 31. In a state where the UFB unit 31 is inserted from the right in the drawing into the first inlet pipe 35 of the water injection case 32, the outer periphery of the first small diameter portion 37a is fitted to the inner peripheral surface of the thin portion 35a. The outlet pipe 37 of the first water supply valve 29 is connected. Further, in this state, an O-ring 38 is provided between the outer peripheral surface of the second small diameter portion 37 b of the outlet pipe 37 and the inner peripheral surface of the thin portion 35 a.

The UFB unit 31 is, for example, a synthetic resin, and has a cylindrical shape whose axial direction in the drawing is the left and right direction as a whole, and a flow path 39 penetrating in the left and right direction in the drawing is It is formed. Water flows in the flow path 39 in the direction of arrow A (from right to left in the figure). The outer diameter of the UFB unit 31 corresponds to the inner diameter of the first inlet pipe 35. At the same time, ring-shaped

convex portions

41, 41 are integrally formed at two places at a slight interval in the axial direction at a midway right portion of the outer peripheral wall of the UFB unit 31.

The UFB unit 31 is mounted in the first inlet pipe 35 by being inserted from the open side (right side in the figure). At that time, the convex portion 41 on one side (the left side in the figure) is engaged with the step 35 b in the first inlet pipe 35 to be a stopper. At this time, an O-ring 42 is provided between the two

projections

41 and 41 between the outer peripheral surface of the UFB unit 31 and the inner peripheral surface of the thin portion 35 a of the first inlet pipe 35. .

The flow path 39 is opened at both left and right end faces of the UFB unit 31 in the drawing, the opening on the right side in the drawing is an inlet 39a, and the opening on the left in the drawing is an outlet 39b. Further, at the middle portion of the flow passage 39, a narrowed portion 39c having the smallest flow passage cross-sectional area is formed in a form having a predetermined length. The flow path 39 is configured in a tapered shape in which the cross-sectional area of the flow path gradually decreases between the inflow port 39a and the constriction portion 39c, and the flow path cross-sectional area between the constriction portion 39c and the outflow port 39b is It has a tapered shape that gradually increases gradually.

Furthermore, the UFB unit 31 is provided with four projecting portions 40 (only two are shown) so as to further narrow the flow path of the narrowed portion 39c. These projecting portions 40 are provided at intervals of 90 degrees so as to be convex inward from the outer peripheral side of the throttling portion 39c, whereby the cross section of the throttling portion 39c has a cross-shaped (cross-shaped) slit shape. In the present embodiment, the projecting portion 40 is made of synthetic resin and provided integrally with the UFB unit 31. It is also possible to constitute projection part 40 from another member.

In such a UFB unit 31, when water flows into the flow path 39 from the inflow port 39 a by opening the first water supply valve 29, the flow path cross-sectional area is narrowed to the throttling portion 39 c, so that so-called venturi of fluid dynamics is obtained. The effect is to increase the flow velocity and to reduce the pressure sharply. Thereby, air dissolved in water can be deposited in large quantities as fine air bubbles. In this case, the flow direction of the water discharged from the outlet pipe 37 of the first water supply valve 29 and the flow direction of the water in the flow path 39 of the UFB unit 31 are configured to be the same direction (arrow A direction) There is.

The UFB unit 31 of this embodiment can generate a large amount of ultrafine bubbles having a diameter of about 50 nm to 1 μm and fine bubbles including microbubbles having a diameter of about 1 μm to several hundreds of μm. By passing through the UFB unit 31 in this manner, water containing a large amount of fine bubbles (hereinafter, referred to as fine bubble water) flows out from the outlet 39 b. Then, the fine bubble water flows into the water injection case 32 (the detergent storage case 33), and is injected from the water supply port 20 into the water tank 4 while melting the detergent. The UFB unit 31 is described in detail in Japanese Patent Application No. 2014-129097 according to the earlier application of the present applicant.

At this time, the controller 21 opens the first water supply valve 29 at the time of water supply at the start of the washing stroke (the second water supply valve 30 is blocked) mainly by its software configuration, as described in the following description of the operation. ), Supply fine bubble water through the UFB unit 31. In this way, the washing water in which the detergent is dissolved in the fine bubble water is stored in the water tank 4 (the washing tank 10), and the washing process is executed. Further, the control device 21 is configured to open the second water supply valve 30 (block the first water supply valve 29) and perform water supply in the rinse process and the like after the washing process.

Next, the operation and effects of the washing machine 1 configured as described above will be described. In order to start the washing operation, the user stores the laundry to be washed in the washing tub 10 and also stores the required amount of detergent in the detergent storage case 33 of the water injection case 32. Then, the start operation is performed on the operation panel 24. Then, the control device 21 automatically executes the washing operation including the steps of washing, rinsing and dewatering. At this time, first, at the time of water supply at the start of the washing stroke, the first water supply valve 29 is opened.

By opening the first water supply valve 29, water from the water supply passes through the UFB unit 31, and a large amount of fine bubbles are generated at that time to be supplied as a fine bubble water to the water injection case 32. Then, fine bubble water flows while melting the detergent in the detergent storage case 33, and is supplied into the water tank 4. When the water supply of the predetermined water level in the water tank 4 is performed, the first water supply valve 29 is closed, and the washing stroke for causing the pulsator 12 to rotate in the forward and reverse directions is started. When the washing process for a predetermined time is completed, the pulsator 12 is stopped and the water tank 4 is drained, and subsequently, the rinsing and dewatering processes are performed. In these rinsing and dewatering processes, the second water supply valve 30 is opened, and water from the water supply is supplied from the water supply case 32 into the water tank 4 through the second water supply passage 28.

The fine bubble causes Brownian motion causing irregular motion in a liquid, for example, in water, and has a property of staying in the liquid for a long time because its speed is higher than the ascent rate. Then, since the surface of the fine bubble is negatively charged, it adsorbs while disaggregating the detergent component (surfactant) contained in the washing water to improve the dispersibility of the detergent. Play a role. Fine bubbles do not repel each other and do not combine. In addition, the fine bubble that has adsorbed the detergent component can easily get into the interstices (for example, 10 μm) of the fibers of the clothes, efficiently carry the detergent to the inside of the clothes to remove stains, and the clothes of the stains Suppress reattachment to.

In this case, since the detergent is added to the fine bubble water after being made into the fine bubble water by the UFB unit 31, the detergent is effectively dispersed in the washing water in a state where the fine bubble concentration is high. It can be done. In addition, conversely, if the fine bubble is generated after the detergent is added to the water, the washing water excessively foams and the fine fine bubble can not be generated sufficiently. Therefore, the fine bubble concentration may be reduced.

Here, in the UFB unit 31 as a fine bubble generating device utilizing the Venturi effect, in order to generate fine bubbles, it is necessary to flow water in a state where a high water pressure is applied to some extent. A water supply is generally used as a water supply source of the washing machine 1. By using this tap water pressure without lowering it as much as possible, it is possible to effectively generate a large amount of fine bubbles by the UFB unit 31 without using a special pressure device. In particular, in the present embodiment, the flow direction of the water discharged from the outlet pipe 37 of the first water supply valve 29 and the flow direction of the water in the flow path 39 of the UFB unit 31 are configured to be the same. As a result, the resistance of the flow passage in the first water supply passage 27 to the UFB unit 31 can be reduced, and a decrease in water pressure can be suppressed to efficiently generate a fine bubble.

Due to the function of such a fine bubble, a washing process is performed using washing water in which detergent is dissolved in fine bubble water containing numerous fine bubbles. Thereby, an excellent cleaning action can be obtained. In addition, since the feed mechanism 25 is provided with the second water supply passage 28 not passing through the UFB unit 31, the water not passing through the UFB unit 31 and containing no fine bubbles is fed into the water tank 4 during rinsing or the like. can do. Therefore, at the time of water supply at the time of rinsing or the like, it is possible to relatively increase the flow rate of water and supply water in a short time.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the UFB unit 31 is disposed between the first water supply valve 29 and the water injection case 32 in the case where the UFB unit 31 for generating the fine bubble is provided. Thereby, the water in a relatively high water pressure state discharged from the first water supply valve 29 can be supplied to the UFB unit 31. As a result, it is possible to obtain an excellent effect that fine bubbles can be generated efficiently by the UFB unit 31 without providing a separate pressure device for increasing the water pressure. At this time, the UFB unit 31 can be provided upstream of the detergent storage case 33 of the water injection case 32, and the UFB unit 31 to which high water pressure is applied can be held with the simplest configuration.

Further, in the present embodiment, in particular, the UFB unit 31 having a compact and simple configuration is adopted as the fine bubble generating device. At the same time, the UFB unit 31 is provided so as to be sandwiched between the outlet pipe 39 of the first water supply valve 29 and the first inlet pipe 35 of the water injection case 32. As a result, fine bubbles can be efficiently generated using relatively high water pressure, and the merit that the assemblability of the UFB unit 31 also becomes good can be obtained. Furthermore, since the diameters of the first inlet pipe 35 and the second inlet pipe 36 of the water injection case 32 are made different, erroneous insertion of the UFB unit 31 can be prevented in advance.

(2) Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 9. The second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the configuration of a UFB unit 51 which is a fine bubble generating device utilizing the principle of a Venturi tube. In the first embodiment, the UFB unit 31 is configured as an integral body made of, for example, a synthetic resin. On the other hand, in the second embodiment, the UFB unit 51 is configured by combining the two parts of the upstream channel member 52 and the downstream channel member 53.

That is, as shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 4 etc., the UFB unit 51 generally has a cylindrical shape with the axial direction as the horizontal direction in the figure and the flange 54 at the rear end (the right end in the figure). There is. In the central portion (axial center portion) of the UFB unit 51, a flow passage 55 which penetrates in the left-right direction in the drawing and through which water flows in the arrow A direction is formed. In the flow channel 55, the opening on the right side in the figure is the inlet 55a, and the opening on the left side in the figure is the outlet 55b. At an intermediate portion of the flow passage 55, a throttling portion 55c is formed by a projecting portion 56 projecting to the inner peripheral side. The flow path 55 is formed in a taper shape in which the range of the length of about 1⁄4 of the whole from the inflow port 55 a becomes gradually smaller, and the remaining part is substantially constant except for the throttling portion 55 c. It is configured in a straight shape with an inner diameter.

As described above, the UFB unit 51 includes the upstream side channel member 52 and the downstream side channel member 53, which are divided into two in total, and is configured by combining them. The upstream side flow path member 52 constitutes the upstream side of the flow path 55 in the UFB unit 51, and integrally has a projecting portion 56 which narrows the flow path cross sectional area of the narrowed portion 55c. The downstream flow passage member 53 constitutes the downstream side of the projecting portion 56 of the flow passage 55 in the UFB unit 51. As also shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the upstream flow passage 52 is made of synthetic resin and integrally includes a slightly smaller trunk 57 on the tip end side (left side in the drawing) of the flange 54. And a smaller diameter portion 58 on the tip end side of the body portion 57. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 8, an upstream half portion of the flow channel 55 is formed inside the upstream flow channel section 52.

At this time, at the tip of the small diameter portion 58, a projecting portion 56 which protrudes from the inner peripheral surface of the flow passage 55 to the center side is integrally formed. As shown in FIG. 9, the protrusions 56 are positioned at four locations, up and down and left and right (90 ° intervals) in the figure, and extend in the form of a pointed tip toward the inner periphery (the center of the flow path). As a result, the flow passage 55 is narrowed, and the smallest portion of the flow passage cross-sectional area of the narrowed portion 55 c is in the form of an X-shaped (cross-shaped) slit.

On the other hand, the downstream side flow passage member 53 has a cylindrical shape having an outer diameter equal to that of the body portion 57, as shown in FIGS. On the base end side (right end side in the figure) of the downstream side flow passage member 53, a circular recess 59 in which the small diameter portion 58 of the upstream side flow passage portion 52 is fitted is formed. In the inside (central part) of the downstream side flow passage member 53, a straight hole which constitutes the downstream half of the flow passage 55 is formed so as to penetrate in the lateral direction in the drawing.

In this case, as shown in FIG. 9, the inside diameter of the circular recess 59 is slightly larger than the outside dimension of the small diameter portion 58. As also shown in FIG. 7, on the inner peripheral surface of the circular recess 59, a plurality of, for example, four press-fit ribs 60 are formed integrally at an interval of 90 degrees, extending in the axial direction (left and right direction). At this time, as shown in FIG. 9, the rib 60 for press-fitting is inserted along (insertion of) the small diameter portion 58 of the upstream channel member 52 into the circular recess 59 of the downstream channel member 53. It deforms so as to collapse and the small diameter portion 58 and the circular recess 59 are firmly fixed.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4, an inlet pipe (first inlet pipe) 62 as an inlet of water is integrally provided in the water injection case 61. An outlet pipe 64 of a water supply valve (first water supply valve) 63 is connected to the inlet pipe 62. The outlet pipe 64 has a circular tubular shape, and a small diameter portion 64a whose outer peripheral surface has a small diameter is provided at the tip of the outlet pipe 64 by forming a step. The UFB unit 51 is assembled so as to be sandwiched between the outlet pipe 64 of the water supply valve 63 and the inlet pipe 62 of the water injection case 61.

The inlet pipe 62 is shaped such that the inner diameter thereof decreases in three steps sequentially from the inlet side (right side in the figure), and the first large diameter portion 62a, the second large diameter portion 62b, and the small diameter portion 62c. Is provided. The inner diameter of the first large diameter portion 62a corresponds (is fittable) to the outer diameter of the outlet pipe 64. The inner diameter of the second large diameter portion 62b corresponds (is fittable) to the outer diameter of the small diameter portion 64a of the outlet pipe 64 and the flange portion 54 of the UFB unit 51. The inner diameter of the small diameter portion 62 c corresponds (is fittable) to the outer diameter of the UFB unit 51. At the end on the back side (left side in the drawing) of the inlet pipe 62, a rib 65 is provided to which the tip end surface of the UFB unit 51 is locked. At the center of the rib 65, a communication hole 65a which is continuous with the same diameter as the outlet 55b of the flow path 55 and which communicates with the inside of the water injection case 61 (the detergent storage case) is formed.

As shown in FIG. 4, the UFB unit 51 is inserted into the inner side of the inlet pipe 62 in a state where the upstream side channel member 52 and the downstream side channel member 53 are combined. As a result, the front end surface of the UFB unit 51 (downstream flow passage member 53) abuts on the rib 65. At the same time, the outer periphery (mainly the outer periphery of the downstream side flow passage member 53) of the UFB unit 51 excluding the rear end portion thereof is fitted to the inner periphery of the small diameter portion 62c. Further, the outer periphery of the flange portion 54 of the UFB unit 51 (upstream flow path member 52) is fitted to the inner periphery of the second large diameter portion 62b. At this time, a gap is generated between the outer peripheral surface of the trunk portion 57 of the upstream side flow path member 52 and the inner peripheral surface of the second large diameter portion 62b of the inlet pipe 62. An O-ring 66 is provided as a sealing member for sealing the air tight.

Then, in this state, the tip end of the outlet pipe 64 of the water supply valve 63 is inserted and connected to the open end side in the inlet pipe 62. In this case, the outer periphery of the distal end portion of the outlet pipe 64 is fitted to the inner periphery of the first large diameter portion 62 a of the inlet pipe 62. At the same time, the front end surface of the outlet pipe 64 abuts on the rear end surface of the UFB unit 51 (upstream flow path member 52). In addition, an O-ring 67 for preventing water leakage is also provided between the outer peripheral surface of the small diameter portion 64 a of the outlet pipe 64 and the inner peripheral surface of the first large diameter portion 62 a of the inlet pipe 62.

In the above configuration, for example, at the start of the washing process, the feed water valve 63 is opened, relatively high-pressure tap water is supplied from the outlet pipe 64 to the UFB unit 51, and flows from the inflow port 55a in the flow path 55 in the direction of arrow A. . In the UFB unit 51, by providing the throttling portion 55c by the projecting portion 56 in the middle of the flow path 55, the air dissolved in water can be deposited in large quantities as fine air bubbles. In this way, fine bubble water containing a large amount of fine bubbles can be injected from the outlet 55 b through the communication hole 65 a into the water injection case 61 (the detergent storage case) and, in turn, the water tank 4. In addition, fine bubble water can be supplied by supplying water by opening the water supply valve 63 also in the rinse step and the like.

According to such a second embodiment, the UFB unit 51 is disposed between the water supply valve 63 and the water injection case 61. Thus, the water in a relatively high water pressure discharged from the water supply valve 63 can be supplied to the UFB unit 51, and a fine bubble can be efficiently generated. It is possible to obtain the same function and effect. And, in addition to that, the following actions and effects can be obtained.

That is, in the present embodiment, the UFB unit 51 is configured by combining the upstream-side flow passage member 52 having the projecting portion 56 and the downstream-side flow passage member 53 configuring the downstream side of the projecting portion 56. Here, in the case where the UFB unit is integrally molded of synthetic resin, the shape of the projecting portion (squeezed portion) portion is particularly fine and complicated, which makes it difficult to manage and difficult to manufacture with high quality.

However, if the UFB unit 51 is configured by combining the upstream flow passage member 52 and the downstream flow passage member 53, the shapes of the

individual components

52 and 53 can be made relatively simple. Therefore, simplification of the shape and structure of the molding die, and simplification and stabilization of the production can be achieved. In particular, in determining the performance regarding the occurrence of fine bubbles, the dimensional control of the projecting portion 56 is important, but the projecting portion 56 can be provided at the end of the upstream flow path member 52. As a result, dimensional control of the projecting portion 56 can be facilitated, and a high-quality, high-performance UFB unit 51 can be obtained while relatively inexpensive.

Further, in the present embodiment, an O-ring 66 for airtightly sealing between the outer peripheral surface of the trunk portion 57 of the upstream side flow path member 52 and the inner peripheral surface of the second large diameter portion 62 b of the inlet pipe 62 is provided. I made it. By providing the O-ring 66, even if a gap is generated in the butt portion between the upstream channel member 52 and the downstream channel member 53, generated air bubbles (water containing air bubbles) flow through the gap upstream Leakage from the outer periphery of the side flow passage member 52 to the outside of the inlet pipe 62 can be prevented. As a result, the UFB unit 51 can be reliably assembled to the inlet pipe 62 while preventing the fine bubble from flowing out or generating a pressure loss with a simple configuration.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the inlet pipe 62 is provided with the rib 65 to which the tip end surface of the UFB unit 51 is locked. Thus, the front end can be easily positioned by the rib 65 when the UFB unit 51 is assembled. At the same time, even if a fitting failure occurs between the upstream side channel member 62 and the downstream side channel member 53, the front end of the UFB unit 51 is held at that position by the rib 65, causing the flow The passage 55 can be secured.

(3) Third Embodiment and Other Embodiments Next, the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 10 shows the fine bubble generator (UFB unit) according to the present embodiment assembled to the inlet pipe 72 of the water injection case 71 in the inserted state in the present embodiment. The third embodiment is different from the second embodiment in that a communication portion 73 functioning as a downstream flow passage member is integrally provided in the inlet pipe 72, and the communication portion 73 and the upstream flow passage member The point is that the fine bubble generator is constructed from 74 and the like. That is, the downstream flow passage member of the second embodiment is integrally formed with the inlet pipe 72. In this case, the flow passage of the fine bubble generating device is constituted by the upstream flow passage of the upstream flow passage member 74 and the downstream flow passage of the communication part 73.

That is, the upstream-side flow passage member 74 is formed of a synthetic resin molded product substantially in the same manner as the second embodiment, and has a cylindrical shape having a flange portion 75 at the base end (the right end in the figure) The outer peripheral portion excluding the portion 75 is configured to have a constant outer diameter. In the inside of the upstream side flow path member 74, an upstream side flow path 76 which constitutes approximately half of the upstream side of the flow path is formed. The upstream side channel 76 is tapered in diameter from the large-diameter inlet portion 76a on the proximal end side, and then extends straight. Further, a throttling portion 76 b is formed in the upstream side flow path 76 by the projecting portion 77 integrally provided at the front end portion of the upstream side flow path member 74.

On the other hand, the outlet pipe 64 of the water supply valve (first water supply valve) 63 is connected to the inlet pipe 72 of the water injection case 71 as in the second embodiment. The inlet pipe 72 has a shape in which the inner diameter decreases in three steps sequentially from the inlet side (right side in the figure), and the first large diameter portion 72a, the second large diameter portion 72b, and the small diameter portion 72c It is provided. The inner diameter of the first large diameter portion 72 a corresponds to the outer diameter of the outlet pipe 64. The inner diameter of the second large diameter portion 72 b corresponds to the outer diameter of the small diameter portion 64 a of the outlet pipe 64 and the flange portion 74 of the upstream flow path member 74. The inner diameter dimension of the small diameter portion 72 c corresponds to the outer diameter dimension of the upstream flow passage member 74.

The communication portion 73 is provided continuously on the back side (left side in the drawing) of the inlet pipe 72, and has an abutting surface 73a with which the tip end surface of the upstream side channel member 74 abuts. At the same time, the communication portion 73 has a downstream side flow passage 78 which extends leftward in the drawing from the central portion of the contact surface 73a and which constitutes approximately a half of the downstream side of the flow passage. The downstream side flow path 78 is configured in a straight shape, and the tip end portion (left end portion in the figure) of the downstream side flow path 78 is an outlet 78a communicating with the inside of the water injection case 61 (the detergent storage case).

The upstream flow path member 74 is inserted into the inner side of the inlet pipe 72, and assembled so as to be sandwiched between the outlet pipe 64 of the water supply valve 63 and the mouth pipe 62. At this time, the front end surface of the upstream side channel member 74 abuts on the contact surface 73a of the communication portion 73, and the outer periphery of the front half of the upstream side channel member 74 is the inner periphery of the small diameter portion 72c. To fit. The outer periphery of the flange portion 54 is fitted to the inner periphery of the second large diameter portion 62b. In addition, an O-ring 66 as a seal member is provided between the outer peripheral surface of the upstream side flow passage member 74 and the inner peripheral surface of the second large diameter portion 72 b of the inlet pipe 72.

Then, in this state, the tip end of the outlet pipe 64 of the water supply valve 63 is inserted and connected to the open end side in the inlet pipe 72. In this case, the outer periphery of the tip end portion of the outlet pipe 64 is fitted to the inner periphery of the first large diameter portion 72 a of the inlet pipe 72. At the same time, the front end surface of the outlet pipe 64 abuts on the rear end surface of the upstream flow path member 64. Further, an O-ring 67 for preventing water leakage is also provided between the outer peripheral surface of the small diameter portion 64a of the outlet pipe 64 and the inner peripheral surface of the first large diameter portion 72a of the inlet pipe 72. Thereby, the upstream side flow path 76 of the upstream side flow path member 74 and the downstream side flow path 78 of the communication part 73 continue, and the flow path of a fine bubble generation device is comprised.

In the above configuration, as in the second embodiment, the water in a relatively high water pressure discharged from the water supply valve 63 can be supplied to the fine bubble generation device, and the fine bubbles are efficiently generated. It can be done. Further, the fine bubble generating device is configured by combining the upstream side flow passage member 74 and the communication portion 73 which performs the function of the downstream side flow passage member. This makes it possible to simplify the shape and structure of the mold, simplify and stabilize the production, etc., and obtain a high-quality, high-performance fine bubble generating device while relatively inexpensive. .

And especially in this embodiment, since the downstream flow-path member (communication part 73) which comprises a fine bubble generation device was integrally formed in the inlet pipe 72, a separate downstream flow-path member becomes unnecessary. As a result, the number of parts can be reduced, and the configuration can be further simplified, the assemblability can be further improved, and the cost can be further reduced.

In addition, it is not limited to each above-mentioned embodiment, Although illustration is abbreviate | omitted, for example, the following expansion and a change are also possible. That is, in the first embodiment, the fine bubble water is used for the washing process, and the water which does not pass through the UFB unit 31 is used for the rinsing process. The configuration may be such that the

water supply valves

29 and 30 to be used are switched. In this case, two types of water (fine bubble water or general water) can be used properly or mixed and used as needed.

In the above embodiments, the UFB unit is provided so as to be sandwiched between the first water supply valve and the water injection case, but it is fine in any part of the water supply path (pipeline) from the water supply valve to the water injection case A bubble generator can be provided. In each of the above embodiments, the present invention is applied to the vertical axis type washing machine. However, the present invention is not limited to the vertical axis type washing machine, and can be applied to general washing machines such as drum type washing machines. In addition, various changes can be made to the configuration of the water injection case (detergent storage case) and the overall configuration of the water supply mechanism.

The above embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. The present embodiment and the modifications thereof are included in the scope and the gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.

Claims

A washing tub (10) in which the clothes are stored;
A water supply mechanism (25) for supplying water supplied from a water supply source into the washing tub (10) through a water supply path (27, 28);
The water supply mechanism (25) includes a water supply valve (29, 30, 63) for opening and closing the water supply path (27, 28), and a water injection case (32, 61, 71) for injecting water into the washing tub (10). And a fine bubble generator (31, 51) provided between the water supply valve (29, 63) and the water filling case (32, 61, 71) for generating fine bubbles. .
The fine bubble generating device (31, 51) is downstream of the outlet (37, 64) of the water supply valve (29, 63), and the water inlet pipe of the water supply case (32, 61, 71) The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the washing machine is disposed within 35, 62, 72).
The diameter at which at least a part of the outlet side of the fine bubble generator (31, 51) is inserted and connected in the water inlet pipe (35, 62, 72) of the water injection case (32, 61, 71) The washing machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein small parts (35c, 62c, 72c) are provided.
The said fine bubble generator (31, 51) is provided so that it may be pinched | interposed into the said water supply valve (29, 63) and the said water injection case (32, 61, 71). The washing machine as described in a paragraph.
The water supply path (27) has a flow direction of water discharged from an outlet portion (37, 64) of the water supply valve (29, 63), and a flow direction of water in the fine bubble generating device (31, 51) The washing machine according to claim 4, wherein the direction is the same.
The water supply mechanism (25) is a second water supply passage (28) not provided with the fine bubble generation device (31, 51) separately from the water supply passage (27) provided with the fine bubble generation device (31, 51). The washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising:
The water injection case (32, 61, 71) is provided with a second inlet pipe (36) to which the second water supply path (28) is connected, and the diameter of the second inlet pipe (36) is the fine A washing machine according to claim 6, wherein the diameter of the inlet pipe (35, 62, 72) to which the bubble generator (31, 51) is connected is different.
The fine bubble generating device (51) is configured to have a throttling portion (55c) in the middle of the flow path (55) extending from the inflow port (55a) to the outflow port (55b),
An upstream flow path member (52) having an upstream side of the flow path (55) and having a projecting portion (56) for narrowing the flow path cross-sectional area of the narrowed portion (55c); The washing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 7, which is configured by combining a downstream side flow path member (53) that constitutes the downstream side of the projecting portion (56).
The water injection case (61) is provided with a water inlet pipe (62) to which the fine bubble generator (51) is connected in an inserted state,
The washing machine according to claim 8, wherein the inlet pipe (62) is provided with a rib (65) to which a tip end surface of the fine bubble generating device (51) is engaged.
The water injection case (71) is provided with a water inlet pipe (72) to which the upstream-side flow passage member (74) of the fine bubble generating device (51) is inserted.
The washing machine according to claim 8, wherein the downstream flow passage member (73) is integrally formed with the inlet pipe (72).
The water injection case (61, 71) is provided with a water inlet pipe (62, 72) to which the fine bubble generator (51) is connected in an inserted state,
A sealing member (66) for airtightly sealing between an outer surface of the upstream flow passage member (52, 74) and an inner surface of the inlet pipe (62, 72). The washing machine according to one or more items.